Danbury officer charged with battery in Florida

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT), Marietta Homayonpour Staff Writer

Published
1:00 am EST, Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A Danbury police officer who has been on disability leave for more than three years was charged Saturday night with two counts of battery in Florida, according to an arrest report from the Hendry County Sheriff's Office.

The battery charges -- both misdemeanors -- were filed against 42-year-old
Vincent J. DiBernardino
, the report said.
DiBernardino has been out of work on disability leave from the
Danbury Police Department
since January 2006, according to Danbury Capt.
Thomas Wendel
. He has asked to go before the pension board.
Wendel said an internal affairs officer from the Danbury department has the arrest report from Florida and is conducting an investigation. Any disciplinary action will depend on the outcome of that investigation.
In the report, the Hendry County Sheriff's Office said officers went to a disturbance at a home in LaBelle and were told the cause of the disturbance, DiBernardino, had left the house. He was later found by police.
The report says two women -- one DiBernardino's sister and another apparently not related -- alleged DiBernardino attacked them. The non-relative, according to the report, said DiBernardino "knocked her and the child she was holding to the ground."
According to the report, the child was the 11-month-old daughter of DiBernardino and his wife.
The charge against DiBernardino for the alleged attack of his sister was for battery/domestic violence and the other charge was for battery.
Both women, according to the report, also said DiBernardino attacked his wife and mother. But the report says the mother and wife said DiBernardino did not attack anyone.
DiBernardino could not be reached for comment.

Contact Marietta Homayonpour

at mhomayonpour@newstimes.com or

at (203) 731-3336.

WHO -- Vincent DiBernardino WHAT -- Danbury police officer, on disability leave for more than three years, arrested on two misdemeanor counts of battery. WHEN -- Saturday night. WHERE -- LaBelle, Fla.